AMHERST - The 25-year-old man who pleaded guilty to stealing women's underwear was sentenced to five months in custody Thursday morning.

Harvey Joseph Venus was also given a 12-month probationary order with conditions following the expiration of his imprisonment term.

He was sentenced to the same sentence, concurrent to each other, for one count each of theft of women's underwear and failing to keep the peace and be of good behaviour - a condition of a recognizance he was subject to when released from prison this past December.

Venus has a criminal history involving women's underwear - in 2005 he was charged with sexual assault of a then 14-year-old girl after being caught cutting her underwear off with scissors while she slept.

He pleaded guilty to that charge and was sentenced to five years in custody.